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Kenyan athletes have backed a plan for six internationally accredited doctors to take care of the country's top runners, responsible for examining samples in an effort to end a series of doping scandals.

The doping cases threatened to derail Kenya's participation at last year's Rio Olympics, but their athletes were eventually allowed to compete and brought home a haul of long-distance running medals.

"This is a good step and a major development for our country," Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge told Reuters. "I am happy with it, although authorities still need to make athletes aware of the dangers of doping."

Athletics Kenya, the governing body for track and field in the East African country, says elite athletes should only use the six doctors vetted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) if they want to compete.

"The network comes as part of the preventive measures intended to address the proliferation of rogue doctors, limit poor medical practice and address the supply of prohibited substances," IAAF spokesman Chris Turner told Reuters.